By TIM CREASON

NEW CARLISLE – For a while, at least, it looked as if Warsaw might win the girls team title during Saturday’s semistate cross country meet at New Prairie High School.

The No. 6-ranked Tigers got off to a fast start, worked their way to the front of the pack, and had six runners in the top 30 at the halfway point.

Quick starts are a gamble in any cross country race, however. Especially at a semistate.

The quick early pace took its toll, and the Tigers faded over the last half of the race.

But only to third place. And now, they’ve got a chance to refine their attack a little bitand try it again at next week’s state finals.

After all, coach Matt Campbell says, what have they got to lose?

“We have to get out and take a chance again next week,” said Campbell, who is leading the Tigers to their fourth consecutive girls state meet at the Wabash Valley Sports Center in Terre Haute.

“Our goal is to make the top 10, and to do that, you have to go out hard,” said Campbell. “You can’t let it get too far away.”

Allison Miller followed that strategy to perfection during Saturday’s semistate. She found a spot behind the leaders, but in front of the chase pack, and basically stayed there from beginning to end. She finished the 5,000-meter race fourth in 19:11.5.

“I was thinking, ‘Just keep pushing. Do this for the team,’” said the sophomore team leader. “’God’s given you the ability to run, so stick with it.’”

Freshman Mia Beckham gave the Tigers a big boost, clocking 19:56.7 and placing 21st. Emma Hayward came charging home moments later, taking 24th in 19:59.8.

Brooke Rhodes (26th in 20:05) and Hannah Dawson (41st in 20:23.4) rounded out the Tiger scoring.

“We were not clicking on all cylinders today,” said Campbell. “Hopefully, next week we can put it all together.

“It’s not that anybody had a bad race, it’s just that we can run better.”

The top six teams at semistate advance to the IHSAA finals, as well as the top 10 individuals who are not members of a qualifying team.

West Lafayette ended up winning the girls team title, running down Warsaw and second-place Lake Central over the second half of the race.

The Red Devils scored 44 points. In contrast, Warsaw had 102.

Lauren Johnson and Kristen Johnson, junior sisters, finished 1-2 to lift West Lafayette.

Now it’s on to the state meet, where the Tigers say they won’t hold back. Particularly Miller, who has legitimate All-State hopes.

“I’m just going to stick up with that front pack of girls and try to do my very best,” Miller said.

“She’s the hardest worker on the team, for sure,” said Campbell. “Next week we will tell Allison, ‘Just go out and latch on to the leaders. Hopefully it will carry her to an All-State performance.”

 

IHSAA SEMISTATE

CROSS COUNTRY TOURNAMENT

At New Carlisle

GIRLS

Team scores: West Lafayette 44, Lake Central 92, Warsaw 102, Valparaiso 109, Portage 142, LaPorte 156, Crown Point 226, Chesterton 227, Harrison (West Lafayette) 313, New Prairie 319, Munster 331, Maconaquah 343, Culver Academies 353, Merrillville 359, McCutcheon 400, Hobart 423, Twin Lakes 423 (sixth-runner tie-breaker), Seeger 447, Western 466, Plymouth 486.

Top 25 finishers: 1, Lauren Johnson (W Lafayette) 18:24.2. 2, Kristen Johnson (W Lafayette) 18:41.4. 3, Madeline Lilly (Twin Lakes) 18:53.0. 4, Allison Miller (Warsaw) 19:11.5. 5, Logan Ferngren (Valparaiso) 19:13.9. 6, Hannah Wylie (Crown Pt) 19:18.3. 7, Jennifer Crague (Lake Central) 19:18.6. 8, Kyra Ball (Portage) 19:25.0. 9, Rachel Bales (W Lafayette) 19:33.0. 10, Sydney Vandersteeg (Lake Central) 19:33.4. 11, Elena Kipp (Valparaiso) 19:38.4. 12, Kailee Schoof (LaPorte) 19:38.4. 13, Adrianna Dague (Caston) 19:43.9. 14, Maritza Castaneda (Lake Central) 19:45.4. 15, Sarah Hunsley (Lake Central) 19:46.6. 16, Delaney Barber (W Lafayette) 19:48.4. 17, Katerina Shuble (LaPorte) 19:48.9. 18, Susan Hubbard (W Lafayette) 19:50.2. 19, Isabel Weise (Benton Central) 19:51.3. 20, Nicole Hampshire (Western) 19:52.6. 21, Mia Beckham (Warsaw) 19:56.7. 22, Jillian Zimmerman (Crown Pt.) 19:57.5. 23, Annie Covington (W Lafayette) 19:58.2. 24, Emma Hayward (Warsaw) 19:59.8. 25, Trinity Austin (Griffith) 20:02.8.

OTHER WARSAW: 26, Brooke Rhodes 20:05.0 … 41, Hannah Dawson 20:23.4 … 64, Charlene Orr 20:51.9.

TRITON: 133, Baylee McIntire 22:12.7.

NOTE: Top six teams and top 10 individual finishers who are not members of qualifying teams advance to IHSAA state finals in Terre Haute on Saturday, Nov. 1.